Can you share tips for parents who have a child that is struggling with articulation skills?

If you have a child with developmentally appropriate sound errors (ex. 3-years-old and not saying /r/ sounds properly), the best thing to do for that child is to be patient and supportive. By constantly correcting a child's speech sounds before his or her muscles are ready to produce it, a parent can accidently create an atmosphere of frustration and anxiety around speech development.

In addition to providing a patient atmosphere in which sound errors are okay, it is also important to recognize when your child’s speech sounds are no longer developmentally appropriate. As your child begins to grow individually and academically, inappropriate sound errors can cause difficulty communicating, as well as adverse educational impacts.

An example of an educational impact would be:

*If your child is 9-years-old and pronouncing the /l/ sound with a /w/, he or she may be repeating the word to themselves incorrectly and in turn have difficulty learning to spell any word with the /l/ sound (ex. spelling "wamp" instead of lamp). Prolonged sound errors can impact your child's understanding of letter sound awareness and reading.

How do you know when or if your child is ready/needs to see a speech therapist?

The amount of easy to access information and free materials on the internet is an amazing way to understand if your child needs to see a speech therapist.

The process of knowing whether or not your child needs therapy begins at home. By paying close attention to what sounds your child is having difficulty saying, you are able to find out important information about whether a formal evaluation is warranted. If you notice that your child consistently substitutes sounds (ex. “hout” for house), then you can refer to resources such as the above chart and find at what age most children develop their /s/ sound in the final position of words.

Please keep in mind that there is a wide range of what is considered normal development. If your child is well outside that range of normal development, then ask your PCP for a referral for a speech therapy evaluation.

What to expect if your child starts speech therapy.

If you have a child who begins speech therapy to help with acquiring age-appropriate speech sounds, the number one thing to expect is to be doing at-home activities. Because speech sounds require complex muscle movements in the mouth, it is very difficult to learn and master new sounds without consistent at-home practice. Research directly indicates that the more you practice at home, the faster your child will develop his or her speech sounds. Speech therapy aims to give you the foundational skills and tools to be able to practice outside of therapy as well.